Potty trainer

ABSTRACT

The invention is an article suitable for collecting and disposing of waste from a child&#39;s potty. The article has a flexible plastic liner/bag, an absorbent pad, and a means for closing the flexible plastic liner/bag. The liner/bag is a waterproof receptacle that is substantially cylindrical in shape, and has a diameter that is comparable to the potty for which it is sized. The absorbent pad is substantially circular in shape, where the absorbent pad has a diameter that is comparable to the liner/bag for which it is sized. The absorbent pad has a plastic filmic bottom layer, a porous nonwoven top layer, and absorbent fibrous materials between the top and the bottom layer. The absorbent pad is adhered to a bottom of the flexible plastic liner/bag. The stiffness of the pad is sufficient to impart shape to the plastic liner/bag.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1) Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an article that is a portable waste disposalbag, and more particularly to an article that is suitable for collectingand disposing of waste from a child's potty.

2) Prior Art

G.B. 2196246A to Brenton Vann teaches a universal disposable body wastevessel liner/bag to contain, stabilize, and seal-in the superfluous bodywaste in a hygienic manner prior to disposal. The bag, when used inconjunction with a body waste vessel, (i.e. a chamber pot or potty)eliminates the need to wash and/or sterilize the vessel after each use.The liner/bag has an absorbent, which stabilizes any fluid in theliner/bag so that it may be sealed and safely stored prior to convenientdisposal. The liner/bag can have a string tie or other closing means.

While the prior art teaches the use of a liner/bag for disposing ofwaste, to properly install the liner/bag in the vessel requires that theliner/bag be pushed down into the vessel (i.e. a chamber pot or potty).What is needed is a liner/bag for disposing of waste that has a shapingelement, where the shaping element causes the liner to move to thebottom of the vessel and expand toward the wall of the vessel. Further,what is needed is a liner/bag for waste that can be refitted with anabsorbent pad, where the absorbent pad partitions one deposit of wastefrom a second deposit, so that if it becomes necessary to add a seconddeposit to the disposable liner/bag then an additional absorbent pad canbe added. The absorbent pad acts not only as an absorbent, but also as ahygienic partition that masks the first deposit from the second orsubsequent deposit. Masking the first deposit makes the liner/bag muchmore acceptable to a user having a heightened sensory awareness. Forchildren who are in the process of learning potty training, it isparticularly important to have a disposable liner that can be refittedwith another absorbent pad, because they often are unsure of when theyhave finished, and may require multiple trips to the potty before theyare finished.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

A first object of the invention is an article that is suitable forcollecting and disposing waste from a child's potty, where the articleis a disposable and waterproof receptacle.

A further object of the invention is that the article fit into a child'straining potty.

Another object of the invention is that the child's training potty linerbe absorbent.

A further object is that the article be easily be closed or cinched.

A further object is that additional absorbent materials in the form ofpads may be added to the child's training potty liner.

Another object of the invention is that it can be folded over the rim ofa child's training potty.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is an article that is suitable for collecting anddisposing of waste from a child's potty. The article is comprised of aflexible plastic liner/bag that is a waterproof receptacle that issubstantially cylindrical in shape, and has a diameter that iscomparable to the potty for which it is sized. The invention is furthercomprised of an absorbent pad that is substantially circular in shape,and has a diameter that is comparable to the liner/bag for which it issized. Additionally, the invention has a means for closing the flexibleplastic liner/bag. Examples of means for the flexible plastic liner/baginclude a straw string at the mouth of the bag, zip lock seals, tailsthat tie, nylon cable clamps, cinch straps, and twist ties. Typically,the absorbent pad has a plastic filmic bottom layer, a porous nonwoventop layer, and absorbent fibrous materials between the top and thebottom layer. The absorbent pad can be adhered to the bottom of theflexible plastic liner/bag. The absorbent pad, having multiple layers,is relatively soft, but stiffer than the liner/bag, and the liner/bagextends around the perimeter of the absorbent pad. The bottom layer ofthe absorbent pad is substantially flush with the bottom of the bag, andthe adhered pad imparts shape to the liner/bag. Preferably, with theabsorbent pad positioned in the bottom of the bag, the bag is stiffenough to be free standing, but flexible enough to be easily closed. Thearticle is preferably further comprised of at least one additionalhygienic absorbent pad, which is not adhered to the bottom of theflexible plastic liner/bag. The additional absorbent pad can beadded/refitted to the child potty training liner/bag as use dictates.The additional absorbent pad can be stacked like poker chips, creating afresh bottom surface in the liner/bag each time one is added. If thesurface isn't sufficiently fresh enough after one additional pad tomollify one's heightened sensory awareness, then add even anotherabsorbent pad until the desired effect is achieved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects will become readily apparent byreferring to the following detailed description and the appendeddrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the article for collecting and disposing ofwaste from a child's potty. The article is comprised of a flexibleplastic liner/bag that is a waterproof receptacle that is substantiallycylindrical in shape, and has a diameter that is comparable to the pottyfor which it is sized. The receptacle is fitted with an absorbent pad,shown in dashed lines to indicate that the pad is contained with thereceptacle;

FIG. 2 a is a top view of the absorbent pad;

FIG. 2 b is a side view of the absorbent pad, which illustrates that thepad is comprised of multiple layers;

FIG. 2 c is a bottom view of the absorbent pad;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the article for collecting and disposing ofwaste illustrating that the article can be fitted with multipleabsorbent pads, where each pad creates a fresh surface in the article;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the invented flexible plastic liner/bag fittedonto a child's potty. The potions of the potty covered by the flexibleplastic liner/bag are shown as dashed lines; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of the invented flexible plastic liner/bag whereinthe bag has been cinched closed using a drawstring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention is an article that is suitable for collecting anddisposing of waste from a child's potty. The article, as illustrated inFIG. 1, is comprised of a flexible plastic liner/bag that is awaterproof receptacle that is substantially cylindrical in shape, andhas a diameter that is comparable to the potty for which it is sized. Asillustrated in FIG. 2 a-c, the invention is further comprised of anabsorbent pad 20 that is substantially circular in shape, and has adiameter that is comparable to the liner/bag 12 for which it is sized.Additionally, the invention has a means for closing the flexible plasticliner/bag 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the means is a drawstring14 threaded through a seam 16, which enables the mouth of the bag to becinched shut, like a turnicate. Other examples of means for the flexibleplastic liner/bag include a zip lock seal, tails that tie, nylon cableclamps, and twist ties. FIG. 5 illustrates the article 10 cinchedclosed. The absorbent pad 20 has a plastic filmic bottom layer 26, aporous nonwoven top layer 22, and absorbent fibrous materials 24 betweenthe top and the bottom layer. Typically, the absorbent fibrous materials24 are comprised of at least three layers. The absorbent pad 20 can beadhered to the bottom of the flexible plastic liner/bag 12. Theabsorbent pad 20, having multiple layers, is relatively soft, butstiffer than the liner/bag, and the liner/bag extends around theperimeter of the absorbent pad. The bottom layer 26 of the absorbent pad20 is substantially flush with the bottom of the bag, and the adheredpad imparts shape to the liner/bag 12. Preferably, with the absorbentpad positioned in the bottom of the bag, the bag 12 is stiff enough tobe free standing, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, but flexible enough to beeasily closed. The article 10 can be further comprised of at least oneadditional hygienic absorbent pad 20, which is not adhered to the bottomof the flexible plastic liner/bag. FIG. 3 illustrates the invention with3 absorbent pads, the pad on the bottom 20, a second pad 20′, and athird pad 20″. The additional absorbent pad can be added/refitted to thechild potty training liner/bag 10 as use dictates. Additional absorbentpads can be stacked like poker chips, creating a fresh bottom surface inthe liner/bag each time one is added. Not only do the bags create asubstantially dry surface, but also various absorbent materials can beincluded in the pads to deodorize the article. If the surface isn'tsufficiently fresh enough after one additional pad to mollify one'sheightened sensory awareness, then add even another absorbent pad 20until the desired effect is achieved. The level of need will be dictatedby the history usage of the potty training article 10.

The article can be installed on a potty 30 by inserting the bottom ofthe invention 10 into the trainer, with the top of the bag folded overthe rim 32 and the handle 34 of the potty 30. As illustrated in FIG. 4,the portions of the potty 30 covered by the bag 12 are shown in dashedlines. The absorbent pad 20 is situated in the bottom of the potty. Ifneed be, an additional absorbent pad 20 can be added at any time. Afterremoving the potty from the toilet trainer seat that holds the potty,the article is sealed, as shown in FIG. 5.

The descriptions above and the accompanying drawings should beinterpreted in the illustrative and not the limited sense. While theinvention has been disclosed in connection with the preferred embodimentor embodiments thereof, it should be understood that there may be otherembodiments which fall within the scope of the invention as defined bythe following claims. Where a claim is expressed as a means or step forperforming a specified function, it is intended that such claim beconstrued to cover the corresponding structure, material, or actsdescribed in the specification and equivalents thereof, including bothstructural equivalents and equivalent structures.

1. An article that is suitable for collecting and disposing waste from achild's potty, said article comprising: a flexible plastic liner/bag,wherein said liner/bag is a waterproof receptacle that is substantiallycylindrical in shape, where the receptacle has a diameter that iscomparable to the potty for which it is sized; an absorbent pad, whereinsaid absorbent pad is substantially circular in shape, where theabsorbent pad has a diameter that is comparable to the liner/bag forwhich it is sized; and means for closing the flexible plastic liner/bag.2. The article, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said absorbent pad has aplastic filmic bottom layer, a porous nonwoven top layer, and absorbentfibrous materials between the top and the bottom layer.
 3. The article,as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for closing the flexibleplastic liner/bag is a seam at the mouth of the bag, and a drawstringthat runs through the seam and exits through an opening in the seam. 4.The article, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said absorbent pad isadhered to a bottom of the flexible plastic liner/bag.
 5. The article,as claimed in claim 4, wherein said absorbent pad has a stiffnessgreater than the flexible plastic liner/bag, and the bag extends aroundthe absorbent pad.
 6. The article, as claimed in claim 4, wherein saidarticle has at least one additional absorbent pad which is not adheredto the bottom of the flexible plastic liner/bag.